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griffinmitchell · 2 years

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Chapter 4 Anvil

Aela wakes up to heavy breathing, the ruffling of grass and thumping hooves on dirt. Cradled in a leather hammock attached to a brown horse like a saddle bag, she can feel long blades of grass grazing her back through the leather. Remembering the horrible sight of her backwards facing palm she inhales sharply and looks down inspecting herself. Her broken arm has been laid across her chest with her hand over her heart. Over that, a cured leather hide is covering the wound from sight. Then, tightly bound leather straps are wrapped completely around her, keeping her injury locked in place. Closing her eyes and slowing her breathing she tilts her head back. Her head fills with the desperate thoughts of being able to go back in time and prevent the actions that lead to the breaking of bones.

Once the panic subsides, she opens her eyes. Still looking up she examines the rider above her and notices the brightening sky revealing that night has faded to dawn. Her leather hammock is positioned so her head is just behind the rider’s feet, with her own feet at the back of the horse. From here, she can see the man’s ruffled wavy hair swaying back and forth just below his ears as the horse jostles his brown curls with every step.

“Thank you.” Aela says softly hoping it’s loud enough to be heard over the horse.

“Hmm?” Noises the man, stiffening up in his saddle at the sudden voice. He turns to look at Aela, “What was that?”

The man’s wavy hair is parted in the middle and swept behind his ears, and his face is covered with a mostly thick beard that’s more of a week-long shadow, opposed to the five o’ clock sort. His features are pointed but not sharp, and his eyes are thin, barely revealing a dark brown center.

“Did you happen to see a giant man from where you found me?” Aela asks, not wanting to feel the awkwardness of saying thank you again. “He looks like a giant but about half the size.”

The man’s questioning eye’s furrow. “Oh ya, we saw him. He dislocated two arms, broke one leg, broke a wrist and lost a horse. We didn’t know he was with you and the gnome until we knocked him out. Luckily, he didn’t kill anyone and likewise, we didn’t kill him. He’s with some of the others, injured in a cart behind us. He woke up a few hours before you did and immediately started throwing hands. Got Hazel in a headlock and kicked Ador out of the cart before he realized we weren’t going to hurt him. Can’t blame him, we stabbed first”

Aela’s mouth tightens at the unfortunate but understandable news. “Who are you?” She asks.

“Haldyr.” Says the man, “Haldyr of Anvil. Captain of the Talons. And you?”

“Aela.” She replies plainly.

Haldyr nods in silence for a moment before saying. “Well Aela, we’ll be in Anvil soon. You’ll be safe there. Plenty of food and beds with soft blankets and pillows.”

She doesn’t reply to this. She’s too miserable to show the appropriate amount of appreciation. “I wonder what’s showing more. The bones of my broken hand, or the ribs through my skin.” She thinks to herself feeling light headed as the nausea of starvation drags her into a loathing depression.

Haldyr leans back and pulls the reins to bring the horse to a stop. “Good girl Amber.” He says patting the horse before dismounting on the opposite side of Aela.

She can hear him rummaging through a bag on the other side of the horse. He walks back into view carrying a small pouch and a stitched leather skin with a cork stuck into the top of it. Without a free hand he pulls the cork out with his teeth and hands it to Aela’s one working hand, “Drink this.” He says.

Aela reaches up without leaning out of the leather hammock and stuffs the open end of the waterskin to her lips. She gulps and doesn’t stop till the water runs dry. She puts her wrist to her mouth to stop a stream of water that’s escaping through the sides of her lips.

“Thank you.” She says with a hint of feeling like over encumbered horse baggage.

Before taking back the water skin, Haldyr loosens the strings of the small pouch and tips it upside down, spilling the contents onto Aela’s lap. Several bread rolls thump onto her stomach and tumble down to her waist.

“They’re dry, but they keep on the road. They’re a little over seasoned to make up for that.” He explains.

Aela can feel saliva pooling in her mouth. So much so, that she has to gulp it down before she can even think about breaking into the bread. The moment she can, she fills her mouth with the greatest bread she’s ever had. Right now, at this moment, the bread is like the first sunlight to hit a blooming flower. Her eyes water like the morning dew dripping from the petals of the happiest dandelion. The dryness of the bread washes away from the drool in her mouth, which continues to build for the first three rolls. They’re filled with dried oregano, a plant they had in abundance in Aukra. A plant easily found on this mountain, but with it came an onslaught of memories. Tears stream down her face and she leans her head back with a mouth full of reminiscent flavors.

Aela hadn’t seen him walk away, but Haldyr walks from the other side of the horse again carrying more pouches and waterskins. He places another full waterskin on her lap “Drink as much as you need, I’ll give some to the giant.”

“Thank you, so much…” She says between tears and bread.

Haldyr gives her a sympathetic grin before walking away. Turning away from his horse, he can see the ten talons. As well as nine of the ten horses that he left with. Seeing him dismount, the rest of them stop their horses as well.

“Take a break and eat, we’re still a few hours from home.” He tells the other riders in passing.

The dense pine forest has faded away to lush fields and rolling hills. With a brown grass that brushes your wrist as you wade through it. To the west from where they came, lies the higher reaches of the mountain. The forest becomes denser as the mountain climbs to the sky. To the east, where they’re heading, the mountain’s incline and rock faces become much more forgiving. Filled with grass fields bordered with spruce trees. From this point, you can see far in the distance to the base of the mountain in the south. Where it swoops to low valleys filled with lakes and rivers, before rising back into other mountain peaks much farther away.

Among the ranks of horses there’s a single white spotted stallion who’s hauling a ten-foot wooden cart. Carrying Ador, Hazel, Kuragar and Cade who are leaning into their own respective corners in silence. Haldyr tosses one of the closed pouches to Kuragar who catches it with a peculiar glare.

“Eat that, it’s good! Hazel made it.” Haldyr says before tossing him the waterskin. “You’ll need that to wash it down though because, well, Hazel made it.”

“Shut up Haldyr, it’s dry on purpose…” Hazel replies while taking one of the pouches from Haldyr.

Kuragar opens the pouch and throws one of the rolls into his mouth before giving a satisfied eye roll and a grumph.

“Is good, but harder to break than human bones.” He says with a side eye to Hazel and Ador. Cade chokes on his roll as he can’t help but laugh at this. The two humans shoot Kuragar an offended glare before wordlessly looking back at each other with disbelief. With a cheeky grin Haldyr pats the side of the cart and walks away.

Kuragar stops after four rolls and says, “You good at fighting Hazel, only giant have hurt me so bad. If Hazel’s blade was longer. Kuragar dead for sure. Am happy Ador stops me from killing you. Not sorry for broken bones though. Maybe you speak before throwing spears next time.”

Hazel’s face twists with insult and disgust, “I’d tell your cousins the same thing giant! Your kind only speaks with blood. When we get back to Anvil, you’ll see the destructive introduction the giant’s gave us.”

“Oh, giants don’t really have introductions actually.” Chirps Cade abruptly, “But don’t worry, that was yesterday’s lesson. Maybe today we’ll practice the high five. And tomorrow, maybe reading the room.” He finishes before looking at Kuragar who gives him a glare before shoving another roll in his mouth. “Yah, yah! That’s it! I’ll teach him how to live with humans and in return, the two of you, teach me, how to fight! How’s that?”

The two humans look at each other again before Hazel says, “Deals are better made with a full stomach and a horn of beer. And until I can pick those up on my own again, I prefer silence.”

Ador scoots along the cart being mindful of her broken leg until she’s next to Hazel. He pulls out a roll and lets her take a bite.

“Thanks…” Hazel says, trying to keep her dislocated arms relaxed.

Looking around, Haldyr notices more Talons talking than eating. He curls his tongue and lets out a piercing whistle that commands the riders to action. They share a few last words before returning to their saddles. Haldyr mounts his horse, being cautious not to kick Aela in the head who’s still resting in the leather cradle on Amber’s side. With a kick of the heel and click of the tongue, the company of riders trot into movement.

Aela tries to close her eyes and drift her thoughts away from her injuries. But in this effort, she only finds memories of Marrek and her father, Feya and Abrim. Until eventually she’s able to settle her thoughts by counting the number of footsteps the horses are taking.

“They seem happy.” She thinks to herself, listening to the unrecognizable words of the riders behind her.

Time fades away as she listens to sounds of joy. Dreaming of the possibility of her own happiness. An idea that seems nothing but a fantasy, but distracts her nonetheless.

Resting his arm on the wall of the cart, Kuragar gazes in the direction of their destination. He Looks forward to seeing the home of freshly forged steel and trained warriors.

Kuragar breaks the silence of the cart. “What happened to giants who attacked?”

Ador sits up from a slump and clears his throat, “We killed one of them before they broke the wall. They stormed the town and we killed two more. The others turned tail and ran, but they couldn’t outrun our horses. We killed the slow one, then the last one where we found you.”

“You killed entire party? How many dead?” Kuragar asks.

“Three.” He replies.

This surprises Kuragar. He had seen that they were well trained, but he had also seen a single giant kill twenty humans and eat five of them in the same night. The thought of more giants dying than townspeople was unbelievable to him. With this knowledge, his anticipation grows to a higher level.

“More will come, Goliath tribe is vast and these are just scouts.�� Kuragar warns, the whole cart now listening to him.

“We know. They’ve settled in a fortress to the south and have started rebuilding it. Dozens of them.” Hazel chimes in. “And we find more in the forest every week.”

“But they’re ruthless, and too big to capture and question. That’s why we took you.” Ador explains.

The conversation stops as the silhouette of a fortress comes into view. At the crest of the largest rolling hill among many others, stands a structure of wood. The walls are formed from pinewood logs that are stabbed in the ground and bound together with iron bands. Several rows of palisades, sharpened logs pointed away from the wall as a defense, surround the entire circumference of the fort. From here, Kuragar can see the upper bodies of soldiers peering over the top of the wall as if standing on an elevated surface from inside. Lines of smoke bellow into the sky from behind them. He can also see a massive hole in the wall, revealing log cabins within. Once they’re within a mile of the wall, a dozen gray owls take flight and soar towards the incoming riders. They swoop low, gliding past the company and spinning around them.

Three of them soar quickly past Aela’s sight as she stares blankly into the sky, still resting on her back. She perks to attention. “What is that!?”

“Warning birds” Haldyr responds. “They fly out when anyone gets within a mile of Anvil. Not so useful in the daylight, but saves your life in the dark.”

“You can train a bird to do that?” She eagerly asks.

“My mother can.” He responds. “You’ll see.”

As they get closer, the steady sound of metal on wood thumps like a metronome. Kuragar can see humans and dwarves with tools and axes shaping long sections of tree trunks in the fields outside the village. Next to the workers he can see two of these tree trunks completely stripped of bark and shaped to be straighter and smoother. Descending one of the hills farther in the distance, there is a rider upon his horse with ropes strung behind him. The ropes wrap around a log still covered in bark, but stripped of all the branches. The rider pulls the unworked log to the side of the riders before dismounting and tending to the ropes.

Haldyr and Aela pass through the hole in the wall. Above, is an archway that crosses over the entry. Here Aela can see workers cutting free sections of frayed rope attached to pulleys and throwing them down to the ground.

“What they building?” Kuragar asks, not looking away from the workers.

“A new door. The giants smashed through the old one leaving it open and defenseless. They’ll be at it till the gate’s rebuilt, so the villagers of Anvil can sleep at peace again.” Hazel replies.

The sound of conversation, and the smell of cooking meat over a wooden fire fills Aela’s senses. Voices of praise and questioning takes over the village’s ambience.

“They’ve returned!” Shouts a woman

“Did you kill the bastards?!” Asks an elderly man.

“Is my dad okay?!” Asks a girl no older than seven or eight.

“Left them rotting in the woods! And everyone made it back safely! Don’t worry, they’ve paid for their cruelty.” Haldyr assures in a voice that’s heard above the rest.

The workers stop what they’re doing to stare at the giant man being hauled into the village. “What is that?” The gruff voice of a dwarf asks.

“Is that a man?” Says another.

“No, that’s a giant. Unbound… He’s small, but that hardened dark gray skin is the same…” says a man.

The rest of the riders enter through the gate and the villagers go silent as their thoughts drift to Kuragar. The town itself is circular in design. The fifteen-foot-tall wooden wall surrounds it entirely. In a similar fashion there is a cul-de-sac of log cabins of substantial size within the walls. All with two stories and several windows. Not of glass, but of wooden squares that latch open from a rope wrapping around a hook above the window sills. Twenty of these buildings form a circle within the wall. The three cabins closest to the gate have large sections broken and crumbled on the ground around them. Revealing a living space inside filled with shelves, beds, and workers. The workers are removing things from inside, and breaking away the unsalvageable sections of the building. Kuragar’s stomach sinks as he looks inside one of the houses and sees a bed, the floor around it soaked in blood.

On the opposite end of town, there is another building built differently from the rest. It’s about three times as wide as the other buildings. Built with an A-frame makes it triangular in shape, with a two-sided roof that comes mere feet from the ground. Its large double swinging doors are propped open, and on the steps leading into the building stands a human woman of great beauty.

She wears a white gown adorned with yellow filigree. Two golden rings sit on the front of each shoulder, a golden owl on each of them facing towards each other. A section of yellow fabric connects the two owls, draping onto her breast and around her back. She has prominent features and flaming red hair that falls to the small of her back in luscious waves.

Seeing a fair amount of people resting their hands on the pommels of their blades, Haldyr decides to speak of Kuragar. “Don’t be afraid. This Hulking man is said to have killed a giant single handedly, and aided in the escape of these two newcomers that we found in the woods. He is welcome here and does not deserve your hateful glares. Do not speak to him if you wish, but do not speak behind him either.”

This doesn’t necessarily ease the tension, nor do the soldiers remove the grip from their weapons. But Haldyr knows that none of the villagers will go against him, and that is good enough. He jumps from his saddle and walks to the rear of his horse. Haldyr unravels a knot of rope on his saddle and Aela’s feet slump to the ground, but the end of the hammock that holds her head stays in place. The impact of her feet jostles her body and sends an aching pain through her arm and shoulder.

“Give me your hand.” Haldyr beckons as he reaches over her, planting his feet in front of hers.

Aela grabs onto him and Haldyr pulls her from the hammock. Her legs go weak and her head goes light as she stands for the first time in half a day. Haldyr holds strong and doesn’t allow her to stumble until she can carry her weight enough to stand on her own.

Aela watches a little girl run to her father and jump into his arms. He lifts her up and swings her around.

“Hey little bee, did you take good care of your brother for me?” He asks, poking his daughter in the chest.

“Of course I did! I protected the whole village! And Hilde braided my hair! Look!” The daughter says, whipping her hair back and forth, swatting her father in the face with a long fishtail braid.

Aela looks at the cart and sees Kuragar and Cade sitting there. She hasn’t seen them since leaving the ruins to go hunting. Kuragar gives her a nod and Cade waves enthusiastically. She goes to take a step but feels a gentle touch on her back. Looking for the culprit, she finds the red-haired woman beside her. She has the beginning of wrinkles below her eyes that accentuate her smile.

“How bad are your injuries?” She asks with confidence.

“I’m trying not to think about it…” Aela responds not much louder than a mouse.

“Come with me. Let me tend to those who can’t walk, then I’ll see what I can do.” She says, pushing Aela along with the arm resting on her shoulder. They come to the side of the cart where Cade is waiting eagerly.

“Welcome to Anvil. My name is Hilde.” Says the gowned woman.

Cade gets to his feet and stands up inside the cart, putting him eye level with the woman, “Hello Hilde! Your hair burns brighter than the fire in my heart. I am Cade, and I thank you for rectifying our homelessness.” He says with a bow and a hand on his waist.

“The mannerisms of the homeless are far better than the villagers of Anvil! You humble me.” She responds with a smile.

Hilde looks at Kuragar who looks right back without a word. Cade kicks him in the foot and says, “Come on man, we practiced this! Introductions!”

“Kuragar is new to this thing.” He says without embarrassment.

“Welcome Kuragar, I trust my son would not have brought you here without complete confidence. I hope you can shine a light on our ignorance.” Hilde says with a nod. “It seems you’re quite injured as well; I will speak to you further, but first I have things to attend to.” She says before walking to the other end of the cart where Ador and Hazel are sitting.

Cade turns to Aela. “Good to see you in one piece! Even if your pieces are a little, well, backwards.” He says with a shrug. “I saw your hand before they wrapped it up, they said a giant beat you with a tree. And I just wondered, how many tree trunks can this woman take?”

Too distracted with watching Hilde tend to Ador and Hazel, Aela does not comprehend anything that came out of Cade’s mouth. “I’m sorry. What was that?” She says at a loss.

Cade tilts towards Kuragar with a gleam in his eye, to which Kuragar just shakes his head in response before returning his attention to the Talons. They’re removing the saddles from their horses and taking them behind the houses. Watching the other villagers help the soldiers remove their armor sweeps Kuragar’s thoughts into a dream. Imagining himself on horseback, with armor crafted to his liking and a sword matching his stature. Having friends to take his armor off his back and lick his wounds.

“They kill me in sleep before they give up a horse. None big enough anyways.” He thinks to himself before changing his attention to Hilde and the injured.

Hilde undoes the straps binding Hazel’s armor. Then she cuts the shirt underneath to take it off without moving her arms too much. Removing the clothing reveals two very misshapen shoulders that jut in strange angles. Not too different from Aela’s previous injury.

“The victims of giants seem to break more than bleed.” Aela thinks to herself.

Hazel looks away and Hilde places her palms on opposite ends of her left shoulder. Hilde speaks the word, “Eir.” In response, her palms begin to glow a deep green. Despite keeping her hands entirely still, a hollow crack comes from Hazel’s bones. She flinches slightly but not at all to the extent that Aela had when Sharai put her own shoulder back into place. Hilde steps back and Hazel’s shoulder has returned to its natural shape, making her other side look even worse in comparison.

Hilde steps to the other side, and with mirroring gestures she repeats, “Eir.” With a glowing hand and a pop, both of Hazel’s shoulders return to normal.

Hazel swings both of them around with a satisfied “Ahhh…” After the stretch, she turns to Hilde and says “As always, I hope we never do this again.” She nods, picks up her armor, and joins the others.

Hilde watches Hazel walk away, then turns to Ador. “Alright, let’s get this armor off first. Which leg is it?”

“The right one.” Ador replies. He undoes the buckles that he’s able to reach without bending his waist while Hilde does the rest. Tossing the pieces of armor one by one into the cart, they eventually leave Ador in nothing but a set of woolen clothes.

“Alright, give me your arm.” Hilde instructs, swooping her own arm under his.

Expecting Hilde to help Ador hobble off the cart, Aela starts toward them to see if she can help. But to her surprise Hilde swoops her other arm beneath Ador’s knees and lifts him off the cart and into the air and starts walking.

As she walks, they pass Aela to which Hilde acknowledges by saying, “Come with me, let’s see to that arm.”

Following Hilde, Aela can see that carrying Ador takes a little effort but is nowhere near straining the woman. On the way, they pass Haldyr who has removed his armor and is now in the common wool that the others are wearing. As Aela passes him, he raises an eyebrow and nods to his mom with a look to Aela that seems to repeat the phrase, “You’ll see.”

Haldyr comes to the cart where Kuragar and Cade are still lounging. He mounts the stallion who’s bit and bridle still attach to the cart. With a wordless glance, he looks behind him to see if the passengers are secure. Cade scrambles to his butt before Haldyr gives the horse a kick and the cart lurches forward. They pull between the longhouse and the next cabin. Bending around the back reveals a corral of horses that stretches behind the neighboring cabins and beyond. Hugging the wall in either direction till reaching the gate on the other side of the village. A stable hand, already inside the corral, opens a gate to the enclosure and closes it behind them. Haldyr jumps to the ground and undoes the anchors tethering the cart to the horse. Then he pulls the cart across the way and into an open shed.

He rests his arm on the cart, “You’re welcome to stay here if you’d like. It’s a little corner of peace with less glaring eyes. Once my father returns, we’ll have a few things to ask you Kuragar. Till then, join me for a drink, or stay here. Your choice.”

“Stay here.” Responds Kuragar as he watches the stable hand pull the saddle from the cart hauling stallion.

“Suit yourself, I’ll send my mother out here to fix you up when she’s done with the others.”

Cade stands up and dusts himself off, “Well I’m gonna get that drink! Maybe try and talk you up a little bit.” He says as he walks to the end of the cart, gets down on all fours and crawls backwards off the edge.

Kuragar itches the bandage that Haldyr applied to his injuries. “It’s nice not to ruin my own shirt to tie off wound, but itches worse than rash.” He thinks to himself. He leans back and rests his arms on the front of the cart and watches the horses reunite from their adventure in the woods.

Aela and Hilde come to a building on the northern end of the cul-de-sac shaped village. It’s reminiscent of the others, but with the shutters latched and closed. They climb two steps and a human boy maybe in his tweens opens the door from inside to make way for Hilde and Ador. The black-haired boy continues to hold the door for Aela. She walks into the building and the boy follows suit, closing the door behind him. The room is mostly bare aside from a chair, three pillowed beds and a few side tables. As well as a shelf on the left side of the room filled with small potted plants that look like bushes of pine needles. Behind each of the plants attached to the shelf backing, hangs a small mirror with a silvered frame.

Hilde approaches one of the beds and lays Ador down gently. “Come to the other side Shui, help me take his pants off.”

“Yes ma’am.” Responds the boy who jumps to action at a quick pace.

Together the two of them slide the pants down his legs without making him wince more than a few seconds. Of the breaks that Aela has seen over the last few days, Ador’s is definitely one of the less severe. His lower leg appears swollen and purple but still relatively straight and smooth. Hilde places one hand on his knee and the other behind it before repeating the phrase “Eir.”

This time Aela can see that it isn’t Hilde’s palm that is glowing, but rather a silver ring on both of her hands that gives off the dark green light. The rings continue to glow as she runs her hand down the length of Ador’s leg, until reaching his ankle. Hilde removes her hands and sits in silence keeping her eyes fixed on the wound. As if sped through time, the purple skin begins to transition to its natural peachy color and at the same time it returns to its normal size. A process that would generally take at least a month has passed by in just a few moments.

Aela has never seen anything like this. Before Fordar, she had only seen Marrek light a fire with the snap of his fingers. A wooing gesture he would use to set the mood. Marrek used to say that he learned it from his grandpa who taught him as a child. She, of course, was told all about magic and its possibilities from the tall tales she’d heard as a child. But to see it in practice right before her eyes is still unbelievable. Aela has seen injuries less severe than Ador’s limit a person for the rest of their life. A limit she was sure her own injuries would bind her to. To never hunt again, forced to wash dishes and clothes for the rest of time in this ruined world.

“Okay Ador, stay here for just a few minutes to make sure anything deeper has finished coming back together. Then you should be good to go.” Hilde says giving the wound a final examination. “Shui will get you a robe from upstairs so you can make it home to a nice hot bath.” With a glance the boy is across the room and walking up the stairs.

“Thank you, I’ll be stronger next time.” Ador says to Hilde.

She smiles in response before looking at Aela, “Alright, your turn. Come on.” She says walking over to another bed and giving it a commanding tap to beckon Aela over.

After sitting down, Hilde unties one of the four leather straps that holds Aela’s arm to her chest and tosses it to the ground. “I still haven’t learned your name child.” Hilde states, removing the second strap.

“Aela.” She responds with a growing nervousness of seeing her arm twisted and mangled.

Removing the leather hide reveals the injury. Aela can stomach the sight for about half a second before wincing away in disgust. Her hand is still completely backwards. Hilde looks at Aela with total surprise.

“I should not have been pushing you around town with this bad of an injury!” Hilde says apologetically.

“You were gentle enough.” Aela replies, fixing her vision to an empty corner of the room.

“Putting bones back together that are close to where they started is easy. But this will need some twisting before I can do that.” Hilde explains as Shui comes stomping down the stairs. He looks at Aela and freezes in a moment of shock before looking away and handing the robe to Ador.

“Shui, go get the Ether from upstairs would you?” Hilde asks.

As he turns and goes, Ador stands up and wraps the quilted robe around himself. “Do you need my help?” He asks.

“No, it will be good for Shui to learn this himself. Thank you though. Now please go, we have much to do.” Hilde responds with a gentle yet commanding tone.

“Thank you again, I’ll see you tonight.” He replies as he walks out the door.

Aela can hear Shui closing multiple doors before coming down the stairs carrying a small wooden box. He places it on Ador’s former bed, then walks over to a fireplace on the side of the room. Reaching inside the chimney a short distance he grabs hold of a handle and pulls a wooden shutter that comes down and blocks the fireplace completely. Returning to the box, Shui pulls out a long candle and a wax catcher and puts the two together.

“We’re going to light a candle that will make you fall asleep. Then Shui and I will leave and wait for it to burn out. Once it does, we’ll come back and fix your arm. You won’t feel a thing and you’ll wake up good as new. Okay?” Hilde explains, placing a hand on Aela’s unwounded shoulder.

“Is it safe?” Aela asks while watching Shui place the candle on a side table.

“Oh yes. You’ll be sluggish at the end, but a good night’s sleep will cure that.” She assures.

Shui pulls out a box of matches and holds them to his side. “We’re good to go ma’am.”

“Do you need anything from me?” Hilde asks, looking down at Aela as she stands up.

“No, thank you. I’m already in your debt.” She says with tight lips.

“Come now, we don’t believe in such things.” Hilde says with laughter, “Very well, sweet dreams. Come and find me when you wake. Light the candle Shui.”

The young boy pulls out a match stick and strikes the side of the box. The match ignites and he lights the candle before blowing out the matchstick. The two of them promptly walk towards the exit and shut the door behind them. Aela looks down at the burning candle beside her and watches a thick stream of white smoke roll from the wick, like a snake floating towards the sky. The thick smoke hits the ceiling and starts to form a cloud above her. The candle burns slowly but the air fills with smoke, spreading across the ceiling and crawling down the walls.

“I wonder how long this will take.” She ponders

Aela watches the room slowly fill with what she assumes to be some sort of poison. There’s something about this place that makes her feel comfortable. With every word that Hilde speaks, Aela heeds it as truth. The kind of comfort you receive when a parent tells you the answer to your questions. A trust that never comes as easily with anyone else you meet. It was something about the way she talks with confidence, the feeling of her mighty but gentle touch. The impression that she doesn’t need your approval or opinion while trying to lend a helping hand. Watching the smoke make it halfway down the wall, Aela looks to see how much of the candle is left to burn. But the thought of using her muscles to move her neck suddenly seems too exhausting to attempt. With that thought, the room goes dark.

#adventure #drama #fantasy #magic #romance #medieval #dwarves #elves #giants #gnomes #gods #devils #mythology #literature #fiction #novel #author #chapter #four #part #Grymharth #Wells #of #Deva

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bbsantc · 10 months

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my favorite bts fics so far (hyung!line)

hello lovely readers, i hope all of you are doing great. i've been wanting to make this post for a while now. i really want to share the amazing work and talent that many authors have on this app. as a literature fan and hopeless romantic myself, i made sure to pick out all the fics that i think are beautiful and amazing :)

disclaimers!!!!:

some of these fics contain nsfw content (minors dni), or some heavy themes, i am yoongi biased so excuse me if the fic ratio compared to the other members is waaayy bigger (like by a lot i am so so sorry), also this post is insanely long heh (once again, i am so so sorry :p), all pictures are from pinterest!

fluff- ♾️

angst- Ω

smut- ☻

crack/humor- ☼

i would sell my liver to read this again for the first time- ¶

Kim Seokjin

Turn Back Time- @raplinesmoon ♾️☼Ω☻

''pairing: baseball player!Seokjin x doctor!reader (based on the movie 13 Going On 30) genres/au/rating: fluff, humour, angst, smut, time travel au, 18+ summary: After total humiliation at his middle school baseball try outs, Kim Seokjin wants nothing more than for his awkward years to fade away until he’s thirty. Cue a magic baseball glove, and his wish is finally granted. Seokjin suddenly wakes up seventeen years later, now the star pitcher of the team he’d always dreamed of playing for. Confused and overwhelmed at the prospect of the new life waiting for him, he turns to the only person who seems to understand him — you. Will Seokjin learn what it truly means to be thirty, flirty, and thriving? Or will he find himself wishing he could turn back time?''

Every Year- @another-army-spot ♾️Ω☻

''Pairing: Jin x Reader, some implied Yoongi x reader and Namjoon x reader

Word: 15.6K

Genre: friends-to-lovers!au, richkids!au, chef!Jin, bookworm!oc, hard fluff, smut angst?

Summary: As the daughter of the Kim’s closest friends, you’ve attended their extravagant annual New Year’s party since the year you were born. No matter what you always spend time with your favorite childhood friend, Jin, who has always been there for you. Here are the highlights of you and Jin realizing just how important you two are to each other.''

Let's get married as a joke- @burningupp Ω♾️

''Genre: angst, fluff

Pairing: Kim Seokjin x reader

Wordcount: 8210 (I’m so sorry)

Summary: Your best friend Jin has always had a talent of getting you into trouble. Maybe that’s why you’re not surprised that he asks you to marry him as a joke - or that you agree.''

friends get married all the time- @hobipost♾️

''The silly promise you made ten years ago comes back to bite your asses, and you’re both too weak to pretend it never happened

pairing: seokjin x f. reader

genres/tropes: friends to lovers, fluff

words: 2k+''

Min Yoongi

series:

The Truth Between Us- @jimlingss @gukyi ♾️Ω ☼ ¶

“⇒ summary: a book deal should be the most exciting time of your life, but there seems to be a constant and omnipresent damper on your mood in the form of a certain min yoongi, who you would just cut out from your life, if he weren’t your editor. but then, the world shifts beneath your feet, and you begin to wonder if maybe you’ve always been looking at life from the wrong angle.

⇒ enemies to lovers au with various other au’s thrown in there

⇒ word count: 14k (first chapter)

⇒ genre: fluff, angst, drama”

Dating advice- @taleasnewastime ♾️Ω☻

''Summary: It’s been months – ok, it’s been years – since you last went on a date. And you’re sick of it. Sick of seeing couples kissing and holding hands in the street. Sick of your friends settling down. Sick of everyone buying houses and having families. You’re going to do something about it. You’re going to snap up a man, you’re going to tie someone down, you’re going to finally commit, you’re going to – you’re going to need a bit of advice.

Pairing: Yoongi x reader

Genre: fluff; angst; smut

Word count: 54k

Status: Complete''

unexpected lovers- @jjkeverlast ♾️Ω☻

''-> pairing artist!yoongi x female reader

-> genre fake dating!au, romantic comedy

-> summary what happens when you meet min yoongi at the club, or well accidentally use him as your pawn to not get hit on. not knowing your cousins friend overhears and suddenly your whole family knows.

-> word count 19.8k''

Only Yesterday- @borathae ♾️☻Ω ¶

'' “Your life in a small countryside village was nothing of the extraordinary, you owned a quaint little teashop, enjoyed warm evenings in your garden and liked taking walks by the river. One day a handsome stranger moves in the abandoned cottage opposite side of the river and it is not long that he becomes a source of comfort in your life.”

Pairing: Yoongi x f.Reader

Genre: s2l!AU, Neighbours!AU, Teashop!AU, Slice of Life!AU, Romance, Fluff, Smut

Warnings: This is a very feel good story, meant to comfort the soul and warm the heart. However it contains talks about car accidents and memory loss, as well as sexually explicit scenes. If you are sensitive to such topics I advise you read with care.

Wordcount: 78.620''

Signed in Black- @yoon-kooks♾️☻

''Pairing: Yoongi x Reader

Genre: Soulmate!AU, BadBoy!AU, FLUFF, Smut [in future chapters]

Summary: Min Yoongi. That was the name magically tattooed to your skin. You were told he was your lover by fate. And as cute as it would be to have a soulmate, Yoongi was the last person you ever wanted to be bound to. But thankfully, there was a way to remove the tattoo. All you had to do was convince six Bulletproof Fairies that the two of you were in love.

Word Count: 3.3k'' (first chapter)

neon signs- @pantoneyoongi ♾️¶

''title ; neon signs [ drabble series ] pairing ; campus crush!yoongi x campus crush!you

description ; namjoon doesn’t think it can get any clearer outside of yoongi building a giant neon sign saying i have the absolute biggest crush on you but apparently, book smarts don’t exactly translate when it comes to you and your massive crush on min yoongi.

(alternatively: namjoon and hoseok try for three years straight to get you and yoongi together.)''

Reflection of You- @agustdakasuga ♾️Ω ¶

''Genre: Historical!AU, Timetraveller!AU/ Different Dimension, Romance

Pairing: SUGA x Reader, Yoongi x Reader

Characters: Normal!Reader, Idol!Suga, King!Yoongi, Guard!Seokjin, Guard!Jungkook, RoyalAdvisor!Namjoon, Servant!Jimin, Servant!Hoseok, Prince!Taehyung

Summary: Confirming you were dating the famous Min Suga of BTS, you knew you were bound to make some enemies. But what you didn’t expect was to be cursed, leading you to meet a cold-hearted, arrogant king that shares the same face as your rapper lover. ''

your universe- @muniimyg ♾️☻Ω ☼

''in which min yoongi refuses to lose you

regretting rejecting oc, min yoongi goes through a circus load of gestures and tasks in attempt to be loved again

pairings:

basketball captain // tsundere yoongi + sunshine // preschool edu major oc

au/genre:

friends to lovers

uni au

one sided pining / rejection / redemption / a sad excuse of a slow burn

smut, crack, angst

social media au + written

warnings:

implied + actual smut

angst (oc is heartbroken and trying to move on from being initially rejected)

name calling, love/hate friendships, big egos, overprotective friends, childish social culture, and a burnt out era <;3

parts:

ongoing ( ongoing/25 )''

andante cantabile- @kkulfm-2 ♾️☻¶

''pairing: myg x f!reader

genre: historical / regency au, fluff, smut

wc: 30.6k + 3.8k smutty bonus

summary: You are convinced Mr. Min is nothing but a rude and gloomy man after he leaves a horrible first impression on you. His friends' attempts to convince you otherwise are met with mixed success.''

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

oneshots:

Man of The Year- @raplinesmoon ♾️¶

''pairing: single dad!Yoongi x gn!reader genre(s): pure fluff, very minor angst au(s): graduation au word count: 2.7k warnings: some swearing, Yoongi is a little nervous, Yoongi is bad at flirting, this is so cute I could cry

rating: PG

summary: For the longest time, it’s always been Yoongi and his daughter, celebrating every milestone of life together. But today, that could change.''

Shut Eye- @alpacaparkaseok ♾️

''pairing/genre: idol!Yoongi x reader, fluff

premise: In a world where every night you meet your soulmate in your dreams only to forget their face and voice when you wake up, you’re now more desperate than ever to find them.

word count: 2.6k''

gold- @aquagustd Ω♾️☻

''↣ you’re in love with Min Yoongi, yes, you are, but why do you keep thinking of the boy who broke your heart into a million pieces when you should be focusing on the one who’s mending it.

pairing: yoongi x reader (past jungkook x reader)

genre: angst, fluff, smut, bff2l

word count: 17K''

stood up. -@parkdatjimin Ω☻♾️

''Three years after dumping your toxic boyfriend, you decide it's finally time to try the dating scene again. What you don't expect is for a handsome and confident CEO to come to your rescue after being stood up.

"Just play along. My name is Yoongi and whoever stood you up is a douche."

Pairings: CEO!yoongi x fem!reader

Genre: HEAVY angst, smut, lil fluff, slice of life, mutual pining, non-idol!au''

First-Date BAIT!- @jimlingss ♾️

''Words: 11.3k

Genre: Fluff

First dates are embarrassing. First dates are awkward. I’ve been through countless ones, sitting across from people who bored the living daylights out of me. It was less exciting than watching paint dry. Some dates were so utterly rude - I think you and I both know what it’s like to be on the receiving end on that. But now we both don’t have to waste our time anymore!

With First Date Bait they went out for me! Afterwards, they informed me if it was recommended to go out on a second date. It’s amazing with a 99.99% accuracy rate! That’s how I ended up meeting my husband!

First Date Bait. Why waste your time with awkward first dates?''

DreamCatcher- @jimlingss ♾️Ω

''Words: 13k (oops)

Genre: Fluff & Angst

Summary: When your dreams are more or less nightmares, monsters inside your head that eat you alive, it seems like the only person who can help you is Min Yoongi, professional dream chaser.''

Purr-haps I like you- @taleasnewastime ♾️

''Summary: You have a no pets policy where you live, but when you find a tiny kitten in a box on the side of the road, what can you do but bring it home with you? The only problem? The landlord who made the no pets rule, also happens to be your flatmate.

Pairing: Yoongi x reader

Genre: pure fluff; Flatmates au

Word count: 11.6k''

Wild Strawberries- @yoonia ♾️☻

''➤ Character / Genre: Min Yoongi x reader/female OC (told through Yoongi’s POV) | Lucid Dream!au, fluff, smut''

first love- @jungnoir Ω♾️

''⇢ summary: yoongi meets you, seated next to him at a familiar brown piano, and he steals you away hours before your wedding day, seated next to him at a familiar brown piano + yoongi’s been in love with you since childhood and he only has the courage to tell you when you’re about to marry someone else.

⇢ relationship: min yoongi/reader.

⇢ genre: best friend!au, angst, romance.

⇢ words: 5.6k''

strike a chord- @snackhobi ♾️☻¶

''pairing: yoongi x reader // word count: 15.8k // genre: smut

summary: your idea of a good night certainly doesn't involve being stood up by yet another blind date and finding yourself alone in a fancy bar; fortunately for you, there's an attractive man playing the piano to keep you busy, instead.''

Anyone But The Groom- @yoonjinkooked ♾️Ω☻

''❅ Summary: After a meet-cute that brings all the romcoms to shame, you realize that for once in your life, the stars have finally aligned and presented you a guy that might be able to make you believe in love at first sight. Only to find out that you’re in charge of planning his Christmas Eve Wedding.

❅ Pairing: Yoongi x female reader

❅ AU: Wedding Planner reader x Arranged Marriage groom Yoongi

❅ Genre: fluff, angst, smut, slow burn, will-they-won’t-they type of relationship

❅ Word Count: 36.5k (I AM SO SORRY)''

Not Even a Mouse- @softyoongiionly ♾️☻¶

''Summary: The week before Christmas, you are tasked with delivering some paperwork to your father’s former business partner in order to secure your ownership of their legendary toy store. However, things don’t go as planned and a sudden blizzard keeps you cooped up inside the tiniest town you’ve ever seen, Snow Falls. You keep telling yourself that it’s the weather that’s keeping you here, but after a visit to Min’s Mini Mart, you aren’t so sure anymore…

Pairing: Single Dad! Yoongi x Reader

Genre: Romance, FLUFF, Smut (18+ only please)''

All I Want for Christmas (ft. Yoongi)- @hayjeon ♾️Ω

''→ singledad, CEO!yoongi x secretary!reader→ 13k words''

ceo!yoongi- @jungshookz ♾️☻☼ ¶

''→ pairing: min yoongi x reader

→ genre: ceo!au, clumsy!y/n because that’s always nice, jimin is ur best friend, floofy fluff, a touch of nsfw aka office sex

→ wordcount: 21k+ so u should probably read this using ur laptop and not ur phone''

first love | myg- @lavienjin ☻Ω

''synopsis: After an incredibly long day, Yoongi found you crying in the copy room. Though he doesn’t talk much, you’ve always found his presence comforting, and it didn’t surprise you when he stayed and listen to you vent. However, while you sought comfort in his embrace, he proposed a special offer to reduce your stress with the magic of his hands. The only catch to your arrangement? You couldn’t fall in love.

But wouldn’t you know it, just as your friendship deepens into something more, you find an old notebook sitting on his bookshelf, and in it, a collection of poems. The last entry has you reeling because it’s addressed to you. And in that page, a single line is written: Without you, I am nothing

pairing: yoongi x reader

wc: 11.3k

genre/rating/au: 18+ | fwb, coworkers, f2l au | smut, angst

warnings: unprotected sex, fingering, semi public sex, multiple smut scenes, multiple orgasms, oral (m. & f. receiving), masturbation, exhibition, lots of feelings. like a lot of feelings :(''

A Boy Like You | Yoongi- @cinnaminsvga ♾️¶

''→ summary: for whenever you are feeling low, always remember that there is a boy you know who would lift the sky for you.

{or alternatively: Min Yoongi loves you, though he never says it. He’s always been a firm believer in that actions speak louder than any words ever could.}

→ genre: coworker!au, f2l, fluff''

when the stars align- @itskimtaehyung ♾️Ω

''Pairing: Min Yoongi x Reader

Genre: FakeDating!AU with a hint of roommates (well actually more like apartment-mates but roommates is catchier), College!AU, fluff, angst

Word count: 10.5k

Content/Warnings: Mentions of heavy drinking, drug usage, strong language, but also cute things like adopting a dog together

Summary: With cuffing season approaching its end, you thought you had escaped the pressures of finding a boyfriend for the holidays. That is, until your friends set you up on a blind date that goes horribly wrong. This prompts you to enlist the help of your roommate, Yoongi, to fake a relationship so your friends will stop meddling in your love life. And it turns out Yoongi is a lot better at this romance thing than you originally thought…''

p.o.v | myg- @jtrbluv ♾️Ω

''summary: you were eight when you first met your soulmate. then you were eighteen when you realized that the boy who just got hired at the local record store next door, is also your soulmate. the issue at hand: you are the only one that knows.

pairing: yoongi x reader (fem)

genre: fluff, angst, soulmate!au, redstringoffate!au, college!au, high school!au

word count: 17.9k''

Yoongi is a Rock- @yoongsisbae ♾️Ω ¶

''rock!Yoongi x reader :D fluff a bit of angst a lot of silliness

Word Count 1.3k''

android!yoongi- @jungshookz♾️Ω☻☼ ¶

''→ pairing: min yoongi x reader

→ genre: android!au becauSe for some reason android aus are popping up everywhere, the usual heaping serving of fluff and comedy, N S F W like reALLY nsfw i poPPED OFF this time i don’t know even know what happened,,, forgive me god for i have sinned, a n g s t, i definitely teared up a little writing this because i was listening to kim bum soo’s i miss you and it made me 100x more emo

→ trigger warnings: this does get a little intense! beware!!

→ wordcount: 24k like that bruno mars song''

you’re so concerned about the ending that you don’t even know the plot- @joonsgalaxy ♾️☼

''° yoongi x reader x taehyung

° 1.9 k words ° fluff/humour

🌟 you bring your broken laptop to Tae—the IT specialist—who you have a crush on. you drag your bff Yoongi along with you, who—you’re certain—has a crush on Tae too. what a mess, right? well, the thing is, you never even considered the possibility of your assumptions being totally wrong.''

better place- @cupofteaguk ♾️

''summary: you might be in love with childhood best friend Min Yoongi, and he might be in love with you—and everyone seems to know it. except for the two of you.

pairing: yoongi x fem!reader

genre: hogwarts au, friends to lovers au | fluff

warnings: slow burn, alcohol consumption, truly lowkey an idiots to lovers au word count: 14k''

something to hold on to- @fantasybangtan ♾️Ω ¶

''❦ word count. 17.7k ❦ genre. parent fic, fluff, angst, a bit of boob action ❦ warnings. illness, mention of hospitalisation, mention of minor character death, yoongi is kind of a dick sometimes, accidental(?) flashing ❦ summary. it’s not that you don’t like your job. on the contrary, reading bedtime stories to a certified little princess is something you still can’t believe you get paid to do. it’s just that between all the school runs, snow days and secret second hot chocolates before bed, you may fallen a little too hard for those dimpled cheeks and gummy smiles…. worse still, you’ve fallen for her father too.''

the proposal- @dreamescapeswriting ♾️Ω☻

''WORD COUNT: 35K (No its not missing a decimal point)

PAIRING: CEO!Yoongi x Assistant!Reader

GENRE: Smut, enemies to lovers, CEO x Assistant, fake marriage, angst, movie inspired, slow burn''

basketballcaptain!yoongi- @jungshookz ♾️☻☼ ¶

''→ pairing: min yoongi x reader

→ genre: basketball captain x water girl, cheesy cheesy stuff, the FLUFFIEST fluff, jungoo is an idiot, humour, nSFW = smut, cocky yoongi, spoiler alert yoongi does a body shot off of u it just be like that sometimes

→ wordcount: 18.4k this will definitely make the app crash as per usual don’t come for me''

Hug-o-gram- @cinnaminsvga ♾️☼ ¶

''→ summary:

“This is probably the dumbest idea you’ve ever had,” Yoongi hisses, but it’s kind of hard for Seokjin to take him seriously when he’s wearing a cardboard sign around his neck that says ‘Huggie Wuggie Machine!’ in bubble font.

“Like, even worse than when we DIY’d your car into a convertible by sawing the top off?” Seokjin asks, genuinely curious.

“Worse,” Yoongi admits, trying his best to stay out of your line of sight. His cheeks redden, matching the gaudy pink kitten ears he was forced into wearing.

{or alternatively: Seokjin is a terrible wingman. He also runs a profitable business by sending hugs to people’s crushes for a fee. Mix them together and you have a recipe for Min Yoongi’s worst nightmare.}

→ genre: college!au, hugging booth!au,fluff, humor → warnings: yoongi is so smitten that he’s a walking disaster, so much shy!yoongi to the point where you’ll want to scream, seokjin just tryna get his homie some y/n love coochie bro ;o; → words: 13.3K''

I Wanna Hold Your Hand- @minisugakoobies ♾️

''Pairing: Yoongi x Reader (Gender Neutral)

Genre: friends to lovers, idiots to lovers, fluff, Roommates!AU

Rating: T

Warnings: pining, a lil’ smooching, Yoongi is very persuasive, reader is easily duped, it’s as fluffy as freshly fallen snow

Word Count: 1.4K

Disclaimers: None, other than obviously I don’t own BTS - they simply inspire me

Summary: It’s hand-holding season, according to your roommate.''

subtle- @joonary ♾️Ω

''↳ summary: just another memory added to the long list of drunk memories that you’ll forget but wish you’d remember, while yoongi will remember but wish he could forget.

↳ genre: fluff; light angst; friends (?) to lovers (?); min yoongi x reader

↳ rating: pg-13

↳ warnings: swearing, alcohol consumption, and yoongi’s soft spots being exposed to the light of day. yknow, just another joonary fic.

↳ word count: 3.5k''

Hobi's Girl- @jjungkookislife Ω☻

''↬ pairing: f. reader x Hoseok, f. reader x Yoongi

↬ genre: smut [18+], angst

↬ summary: Yoongi had a wonderful night with you… but you’re Hobi’s girl.

↬ wc: 4.8k''

The King Isn’t Dead- @another-army-spot ♾️Ω☻

''Pairing: Yoongi x oc (fem)

Rating: M

Word: 19.7k~ (my finger slipped?)

Genre: historical fic, smut, romance, fluff, angst, political upheaval shit

Summary: After the invasion and the King’s miraculous survival, the nation aims to secure stability and his position of power through the prospect of marriage and continuing the Min line. As a promise to your brother on the battlefield, the King promises to consider you as his potential wife - to love and to protect. Or maybe it’ll be the other way around?''

the landlord- @ppersonna ☻

''↳ summary- your air conditioner breaks right at the height of a recordbreaking heat wave. good thing your hot landlord, yoongi, knows how to attend to any needs you may have.

↳ rating- explicit / 18+

↳ word count- 4.3k

↳ pairing- yoongi x reader

↳ genre- smut, light crack, PWP''

CYBERSEX- @gimmethatagustd ♾️☻☼

''The whole point of being a phone sex hotline operator is that you’ll never have to meet your clients. So what are you supposed to do when you find out your favorite client is your brother’s best friend?

» pairing: yoongi x fem!reader

» wc/date: 14.6k | July 2022

Jung Hoseok

hot rod- @kinktae ♾️☻

''a 1950′s inspired fic where greaser Hoseok can’t keep his eyes, or hands, off the new waitress at his and his boys’ favorite diner.

pairing: greaser!hoseok x reader

word count: 10k

genre: 1950s au, smut, fluff''

Kim Namjoon

The Bodyguard- @rmnamjoons ♾️☻Ω

''➳ summary: You’re the daughter of the ambassador to a small, peaceful, barely-on-the-map country in Western Europe, working as a diplomat to help your mother with her endless meetings and politics. After a kidnapping attempt gone wrong, you and your protective bodyguard Namjoon are on the run across Europe, jumping from trains, stealing cars, and pretending to be a couple on your honeymoon to stay hidden. As the would-be kidnappers close in, Namjoon promises you that he’s going to keep you safe, no matter the cost.

➳ pairing: bodyguard!Namjoon x reader

➳ genre: bodyguard au, romance, smut, fake dating/fake marriage, road trip (kinda), very slight angst

➳ word count: 62.9k – this is a complete, VERY long oneshot''

Show Me How- @imaginationofacrazyfangirl ☻ ¶

''Summary:You swiped right on a nerd, instead you got a Greek God. Or tired of your virginity, you decide to throw caution to the wind and find a hook up on tinder.

— PAIRING: Namjoon x f!reader

— GENRE: smut. 18+ minors dni.''

I'll continue in a pt.2

(tumblr doesn't let me write more lmao)

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lightthewaybackhome · 4 months

Text

The radical distinction between all art (including drama) that offers a visible presentation and true literature is that it imposes one visible form. Literature works from mind to mind and is thus more progenitive. It is at once more universal and more poignantly particular. If it speaks of bread or wine or stone or tree, it appeals to the whole of these things, to their ideas; yet each hearer will give to them a peculiar personal embodiment in his imagination. Should the story say ‘he ate bread’, the dramatic producer or painter can only show ‘a piece of bread’ according to his taste or fancy, but the hearer of the story will think of bread in general and picture it in some form of his own. If a story says ‘he climbed a hill and saw a river in the valley below’, the illustrator may catch, or nearly catch, his own vision of such a scene; but every hearer of the words will have his own picture, and it will be made out of all the hills and rivers and dales he has ever seen, but specially out of The Hill, The River, The Valley which were for him the first embodiment of the word.

JRR Tolkien

This is something Tolkien wrote in the notes from On Fairy-Stories explaining his view of why fantasy stories are better left to books instead of plays and movies. I think it might be why he was so reticent about letting LOTR be made into a movie.

But, I think it captures one of the great joys of reading and imagination. I love movies and TV shows, but there is a unique magic found in reading a book, and I think this captures part of that magic.

#jrr tolkien #on fairy stories #reading #imagination #literature #fantasy books

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coffeebeanwriting · 1 year

Text

What Bores a Reader The Most?

I asked my followers to answer the question “what bores you the most when reading a book?”

Please keep in mind that these are all opinions and you’ll find yourself agreeing and disagreeing with some. Personally, I think this is amazing insight into the minds of unique readers all around the globe! I decided to keep reoccurring answers instead of merging them, just so people could see the repeating themes.

“Predictable conflicts or character actions. I want to be surprised.”

“When there’s no clear plot. When it looks like the book is leading nowhere.”

“Endless description. Nothing makes me more prone to skipping ahead.”

“When it feels like what you’re reading lacks purpose and there is no meaningful contribution to the plot.”

“Characters with less personality than a wet paper towel. Main characters with zero personality.”

“When I can’t picture anything in my head or what I understood changes randomly.”

“When a conversation is happening and I can’t follow which character is saying what.”

“Daily routines in a story. Like, I do not care.”

“When the world doesn’t move if the main character doesn’t interact with it. This applies to t.v shows, too.”

“Something that does not have a build up like a sudden relationship out of the blue.”

“When I’m so confused it doesn’t make sense anymore.”

“When there’s a 3 page description of some random object.”

“Wayyyy too much detail.”

“When the big plot twist is revealed and I guessed it ages ago.”

“Too slow or too long.”

“When the author unnecessarily drags the story and takes ages to advance to the climax.”

“Fan service that doesn’t contribute to the plot.”

“Useless descriptions and/or actions.”

“Over description of a landscape (cough old literature cough).”

“No action, no violence. I don’t like when characters talk for too long.”

“Long descriptions.”

“Too much descriptions when you are in a exciting moment. It breaks immersion.”

“Lack of imagery.”

“Constant usage of archaic vocabulary.”

“When the main character is extremely passive and doesn’t act or react.”

“Excessive description that doesn’t further the plot or meaningfully add to characterization.”

“Overly predictable plot, overly crude language for the sake of it, cringe/pompous scenes.”

“Long and boring exposition dumps.”

“Characters that never loose 😴.”

“When the world building starts out great and is really immersive until later on when things don’t add up.”

“When a character has too much internal dialogue.”

“Explaining “the science” behind magic systems in unnecessary detail.”

“Over description. I will skim and skip a lot of it.”

“Too much background info at the beginning.”

“When there’s small talk about a topic I don’t understand. It get’s sooo boring.”

“Too much inner monologue.”

“Slow plot.”

“When it’s just dragging on and on with the backstory.”

“Having to reread a sentence/paragraph a billion times because my brain got distracted.”

“When there’s no action, suspense or something similar for the whole chapter.”

“Things that aren’t relevant to the story.”

“Too much dialogue.”

“A lil too much fantasies.”

“Over drawn setting descriptions.”

“Overly long chapters, repetitive scenes, lots of complicated worldbuilding.”

“When it’s too simple or too detailed.”

“Long, long expositions.”

“Repeating phrases, plots ,etc.”

“Infodumps, especially in the beginning.”

“Too much history.”

“Overly descriptive settings.”

“Slow plot. I need drama!”

“Long chapters.”

“Slow pacing.”

“No major plot twist.”

“Miscommunication trope.”

“Massively long descriptive paragraphs.”

“Too much exposition in the beginning.”

“Long and confusing story building.”

“Repeating plot points. For example: the hero learning to trust his friends a million times without any real progression.”

“Training scenes that show nothing special. Especially sword fighting or head to hand combat.”

“Generic plot developments unless it’s written well.”

“Overuse of complicated words and sentences.”

“Long paragraphs.”

“I’m so over the bubble sunshine and extra grumpy trope.”

“When a character is overthinking.”

“Romanic subplots bore me. Having too many love interests.”

“When it switches between characters/subplots and one of them is awfully boring.”

“When too much information on a character is given one at a time.”

“Clichés.”

“When it takes a long time before the story gets interesting.”

“Long, long, long descriptions particularly of places that aren’t all that important.”

“Descriptions of unnecessary things.”

“Too much side character’s story. They’re a side for a reason.”

“I love beautiful writing so there must be some lovely descriptions... but don’t drone on.”

“Flat characters.”

“Scenes in which my favorite characters do not appear.”

“When the characters have no clear goal or the goal is too weak.”

“If most or all of the characters are unlikable. Then I don’t care what happens to them in the story. Being an evil/mean character is different from being unlikable.”

“When the plot does not move forward.”

“Writing unnecessary, irrelevant things that don’t have an effect on the story.”

“No real plot. The protagonist has no fire to them.”

“When the protagonist needs to figure out a love triangle and which person they like the most.”

“When the interesting parts happen right at the end.”

“When there’s too much info dumping with no easy transitions.”

“No progression after chapters and chapters. Characters not having development.”

“Too much description and a slow start to the story.”

“When characters are too oblivious to something.”

“Oblivious main characters, lazy plots, stereotypical encounters, main character is a god trope.”

“Unnecessarily long amounts of monologue or dialogue.”

“The second chance trope bores me.”

“Slow beginnings... like, get to the action in 3 chapters of less please.”

“Chapters being too long with small writing.”

“If the characters go through the same conflict over and over again.”

“Classic books... I don’t understand a thing, haha.”

“Being bombarded with unnecessary detail.”

“Bad boy meets good girl trope bores me.”

“Too much landscape descriptions like Tolkien or Stephen King.”

“Bad dialogue, too much excessive background details and too many character tags.”

“When the book moves too slowly.”

“Over described scenes or characters.”

“Descriptions without inputs of what a characters is thinking about. I need a lens of character POV to make descriptions interesting to read.”

“A badly written romance subplot where the characters involved don’t have any chemistry whatsoever.”

“I get a bit lost when there’s too much details about an environment.”

“When the story doesn’t go anywhere for a really long time.”

Instagram: coffeebeanwriting

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astrosky33 · 1 year

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HOUSE MEANINGS IN ASTROLOGY

[READ] People often question why there’s so many meanings for each planet/house and the reason is so that you can learn more than just one thing about yourself through each placement. Otherwise astrology would be very vague and boring. These are all meanings that I’ve learned from my astrology classes at Kepler College

1ST HOUSE: identity/self, outward personality traits, outlook on life/approach to life, appearance, physical body, beauty, confidence, beginnings, how you initiate/ambition, your mannerisms, your outward behavior, physical fights, your presence, individuality, and passion

2ND HOUSE: money/finances (how we spend it, store it, and manage it), work, short term jobs, your work ethic, material possessions, self worth, values, emotional security, stability, financial security, how you meet financial obligations, your singing voice, giving/receiving, and resources (both material and non material)

3RD HOUSE: communication, your speaking voice/the way you talk, your mind, the way you think/your thinking skills, your perceptions, your opinions, your conscious mind, neighbors, siblings, interests, gossip, ideas/information, mathematics, literature, transportation (only ground not flying/air), local media, social media, cell phones, phone calls, visits, social activity, publishing, early education (before college), short trips, and short journeys

4TH HOUSE: homes/houses, family/family roots, your parents (particularly the mother/motherly figure), your inner child, emotions, foundations, your childhood, heredity, tradition, self-care, places of residence, real estate, properties, femininity, and conditions in early life

5TH HOUSE: children, childlike spirit, talent, creativity, drama, risk-taking, spotlight, romance (shows short term relationships, flings, hookups, and if long term relationships then only puppy love), hobbies, pleasures, objects of affection, vacations, games, speculation, fertility, concerts, festivals, and joy

6TH HOUSE: daily routine/day to day life/daily tasks, your health/fitness/the work you do on your body, your duties, self improvement, consistency, step-siblings, your hygiene, innocence, systems, service to others, co-workers, analytical nature, diets, animals, and your pets

7TH HOUSE: long term relationships, marriage, concern for others, attraction/attractiveness, charm, conflicts, partnerships, business partners, contracts, love affairs, open enemies, close associates, lower courts, negotiations, peers, agents, equality, harmony, and sharing

8TH HOUSE: major transformation, sex, death, longevity, changes, joint/shared finances, investments, stock market, your partners resources, taxes, inheritance, reproduction, seduction, intimacy (in general not only sexual), rebirth, merging, taboos, resurrection, loans, assets, secrets, mystery, businesses, spiritual transformation, magic (especially black magic), psychology, surgery/operations, trauma, periods, and the occult

9TH HOUSE: wisdom, law/laws, beliefs, religion, philosophy, higher education (college/university), viewpoints, languages, foreign environments, in-laws (your relatives through marriage), ethics, long journeys, travel, ideologies, higher courts, media, television, interviews, cross-cultural relations, grandparents, and learning

10TH HOUSE: your legacy, your career, your public image, your status, your reputation, fame, long-term goals, worldly attainment, sense of mission, responsibilities, recognition, authority, father/fatherly figure, experts, bosses, achievements, and professional aspirations

11TH HOUSE: friends, friend groups, gains, money made from career, desires, step/half parents, step/half children, uniqueness, inventions, technology, film, social awareness, influence, manifestations, hopes and wishes for the future, ideals, humanitarianism, associates (not just close ones), groups (in general), politics, social networking, where you make your debut into society, companions, allies, science, socialization/social interaction, clubs, organizations, and parties

12TH HOUSE: healing, the hidden, karma, karmic debts, old age, sleep, mental health, solitude/isolation, dreams (the ones you have when you sleep), hidden enemies, hidden causes, illusions, secret bed pleasures, spirituality, fears, losses, endings, escapism, impersonations, closure, need for withdrawal/privacy, afterlife, limiting beliefs, subsconcious memory, subconscious mind, hypnotism, self-undoing, hidden desires, the past, delay, and restrictions

MASTERLIST

MORE BEGINNER ASTROLOGY

PLANET MEANINGS

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dazzlinghazefics · 8 months

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Derek Hale x Reader : Hale and Mikaelson.

(part 1)

guess this is gonna be a series.

Derek Hale x Reader ( fem!mikaelson, Elijah's daughter)

Part 1! ~

Being an Original's daughter, and a witch with little control on powers had a lot of perks, so it was no surprise that Y/N Mikaelson, the miracle child of Elijah Mikaelson had to be under strict observation of her father and huge af family, especially her Hybrid uncle, Nik.

Y/N came into existence due to a procreation spell done on her mother, the love of Elijah's life, who had died at childbirth.

If anything that she inherited from her mother, was her witch powers ( a lil bit from her grandma Esther too lol ) and sense of humor ( well, her Uncle Kol says she has the humor from him) and rest is all from her father ( expect sense of fashion, thankfully. Who the heck wears suits in the summer heat?)

Elijah taught her values and virtues and literature, Klaus taught her art and how to kick someone's ass, Freya did her best to help with magic, Kol would often help her pull pranks, sneak around and have her share of fun, Rebekah would doll her up in the latest fashion and Marcel helped her to get relief from the family drama.

Beacon Hills. It's where her father decided to keep her safe. Throughout their existence, the Originals have made numerous enemies. And he couldn't afford to lose his child, his baby, to them.

And she fell in love.

With none other than her father's old ally, Talia Hale's son, the current Alpha of the renowned wolf family, Derek Samuel Hale.

Elijah, for the first time had found her interested in something other than books, music and magic, so was lenient in letting her meet him and letting him court her (much to Klaus's annoyance and possessiveness) .

But he absolutely hated it when his little one would sneak out and run into dangers just to help the pack. He couldn't stop her though, because she was fiercely loyal and stubborn and knew how to save herself.

Elijah knew Derek's the one for his princess, for his young one. His ample knowledge on the supernatural had told him his daughter and Derek had been destined to be together.

She had triggered her magic in the Beacon Hills preserve, while playing with Derek, as a child and one look of Talia had told him everything.

Derek Hale is her trigger and anchor, both.

She gained control on her magic while helping the werewolf in a faceoff with Gerard Argent, the one whom all the supernaturals loathe.

Elijah had to leave this daughter back in BH, for the safety and run to NOLA for handling his family's stupidity, warning her ( read literally pleading her ) to not get in trouble.

But things are never normal in Beacon Hills too.

That f*cking protection broke and here she is, pregnant. At 21, thankfully ( or her father and uncles would have straight ripped out Derek's heart, instead of going for a slightly less painful way)

" Derek Samuel Hale, istg, am gonna castrate you and then kill (pls, their baby is not going to grow up without their father.)"

" Calm down, sweetheart! We'll go through this together."

" Don't sweetheart me, Derek! We're going to be parents fgs!"

" I love you, and I love our child too."

" I know and I love you too, Der, but am scared."

" Our child had the Mikaelson-Hale gene. And we won't let anything happen to our child. Come here."

Later, they both visited the hospital for a checkup, completely unaware that they were being watched upon.

" Y/N, love, I think we owe an explanation of your presence at the hospital earlier today with your boyfriend."

Shoot. Her whole family.

Klaus's voice boomed in the house as soon as Y/N had stepped in, followed by Derek, who immediately felt he is in front of the hungry lion lions.

Elijah, Klaus, Kol, Marcel.

Guess he won't live to see the next day.

" What's wrong, princess? Are you sick?" Elijah asked worried and panicked, walking toward her.

" Uhm..ermm..."

Derek didn't know from were he got the courage, but he did.

Softly taking his girl's fingers in his, he said, as calmly as he could, "We're expecting a child. Y/N's pregnant."

The room was silent until Derek was shoved against the wall both by Elijah and Klaus.

"Dad! Uncle Nik!" Y/N cried out, dread and panic filling her face, as Kol hugged her, to calm her.

"Leave him, Dad!"

Kol humored, " It takes two to have a baby, brothers."

Klaus and Elijah's glare shut him up though.

"Dad, leave Derek please!"

Derek was coughing due to the choking.

All of a sudden, Elijah loosened his grip and started laughing.

Marcel rolled his eyes, " The news has sent him into a shock I think."

"Brother?"

"Dad?"

" Mr. Mikaelson?"

Rest were left shocked.

PART TWO?

sometime later if there's response on this one, (joking lol).

#derek hale #derek hale imagine #teen wolf #teen wolf imagines #derek hale x reader #derek hale imagines #derek hale x you #elijahmikaelson x daughter

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thelanguageofbirdsrp · 5 months

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sl-vega · 2 months

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✧y/n + company✧

✧y/n✧-a proud member of the drama club, and has been cast in lead roles since elementary. when you were five, you snuck into the living room when your parents were watching les miserables, and ever since then, you've known you were made for the stage. much to your mother's dismay, you begged her for acting lessons, which worked!

✧fischl✧-member of the drama and literature club. the two of you met during the first day of high school and the two of you really hit it off. since then you've been super close. she's a bit eccentric, but she means well. she usually acts, but she occasionally helps out with costumes for the drama department.

✧nilou✧-a member of the dance team and your childhood friend. the two of you met when your family brought you to a ballet recital when you were a child. since then the two of you have been inseparable. constantly hailed as the golden child of zubayr theatre, nilou's already made a name for herself in the industry, but at the end of the day, she's a very down-to-earth, sweet girl.

✧lyney✧-fellow drama club member, your neighbor, and best friend. lyney and his siblings moved next door to you in middle school. the two of you quickly became friends as he and his sister lynette showed off their magic skills. the two formed a magic duo and dominated talent shows together.

✧lynette✧-lyney's twin sister and your neighbour. 1/2 of the lyney and lynette magic duo. the two of you haven't talked much, well she doesn't really talk much in general either. you don't know much about her, other than her love for tea and cats, but she's always willing to listen if you need to talk about something.

✧venti✧-member of the music club. the two of you don't really have a history together seeing as how you've only been friends for a year, but every second of your friendship has been a wild ride. from all those parties to drinking all those shots grape juice together, venti's the life of the party, and you wouldn't have it any other way.

additional notes:

-lyney and lynette have a cat named rosseland

-fischl has a raven named oz

-this is the revamped version of the y/n and company post

-fischl has a cosplay page 100%

-lynette pfp credits to @monolitha on youtube

-fischl pfp credits to @thimta1 on hoyolab

-nilou pfp found here

-lyney pfp credits to @hotheadedginger on pinterest

-sanrio pfps just work in smaus

-idk where i found the other pfps + headers i'm already burnt out from hunting the others down

✧Sticking to the Script✧

masterlist

next>

Pairing: Xingqiu x FEM! Reader

Genre: fake dating, strangers to lovers, slow burn, fluff, angst (?), high school smau, modern smau

Synopsis: Xingqiu just got entered into a special writing contest, the type that's invite only, the theme this year is love, the only problem is that he has zero romantic experience. but he really wants to prove himself as a writer. meanwhile, you just found out that your boyfriend cheated on you, and you need to show him that you're 100% over him, the only problem is that there's no way you can get an actual boyfriend that quickly. clearly, the solution to both of your issues is to fake date each other. it shouldn't be hard for an actor such as yourself, all you need to do is stick to the script.

(OPEN) Taglist-@freyao7, @thatoneswordgirl, @sn1perz, @latay7, @esmetrees, @nmriki0, @help-whatdoimakemyusername, @httpsrenren, @cupid-spams, @aixaingela, @kaitfae, @luvkvni, @danhenglovebot

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kiwinatorwaffles · 4 months

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I found This is About a Stuffed Bird bc of you and its one of my favorite fics ever. Do you by chance have more suggestions?

hermitcraft/mcyt fic recs? :0 let's go!!

i get a lot of my fic recs from other friends since i don't really go out and search on my own all too much for this fandom. but there are lots of great works out here! i will be listing out some of my favorites :3 mostly hc but a couple general mcyt ones that i think are an excellent read no matter what. all of the fics i'm listing will be genfic without ships!

also i just realized a lot of my bookmarks are grian-centric which is funny i guess because i am admittedly quite picky about content of my other favorites and grian just tends to have the most content in the fanbase. hope that'll be alright

(i hope some of my friends and mutuals don't mind me tagging them for their works)

hermitcraft longfics:

the last days of the free angel of carrows by @theminecraftbee - loved stuffed bird? here's another great longfic by second! this one is about joe and cleo in an urban fantasy mystery setting. again, second writes our beloved hermits into an captivating au!

leaping and hopping on a moonshadow by @lunarblazes - a fantasy au by luna my beloved! pearl suddenly gains magical powers and goes on a quest to find her long-lost friend grian who might know what's happening to her. she meets a lot of familiar faces along the way!

Recall by @redwinterroses - hey, i was the artist for this one! :D mumbo goes missing, so grian and scar search for him. they find that grumbot has been up to some... things along the way. the fic isn't finished but i think the chapters red put out is worth a read if you don't mind leaving off on a cliffhanger because it really is super interesting

dramaturgy by wormcity - a universe where gem and pearl join in a season 7 that was never finished. mumbo became the mayor, but the turf war went so very wrong afterwards. admittedly i have not finished reading this yet because ummm short on time xD but it's super interesting with a lot of layers of drama(turgy hahaha)!

hermitcraft short fics/oneshots:

for trying. by @autistic-evil-xisuma - a stuffed bird universe oneshot of x and xisuma during their lab days. great if you want to be sad over the doomed brothers again :D

the wheels on the bus by sparxwrites - a hilarious post-s8 oneshot about grian being a little shit towards the watchers. one of the first fics i've read from this fandom and i still love it

a body is an object by ruffboi - grian is a mimic, and pearl's arrival in s8 shakes him up. she hasn't seen him in a while and is quite upset to learn that the grian she knew died a long time ago. a great read for familial connections and conflict of friendships!

Goatman and the Rift by TheDepressedCanary - doc's eldritch powers start acting up when the rift appears. what shenanigans will ensue?

other mcyt fics/crossovers:

late at night, when the stars don't look quite right by @lunarblazes - an excellent empires s1 and hermitcraft crossover longfic, where grian lands into the server and is discovered by pearl! very great worldbuilding and relationships, i especially love the dynamic between gri and pearl and pearl and gem :D

every new discovery is just a reminder by amaranthinecanicular - grian begins pulling alternate versions of the hermits from the life series into the server. he does save a lot of them, but at what cost? it does end on a cliffhanger but this is genuinely one of the most captivating oneshots i've ever read... argghhh

The Fair and the Brave and the Good by @slashmagpie - an afterlife smp longfic centered around the shelby, scott, and sausage. i have never watched afterlife smp before in my LIFE and this is still one of my favorite pieces of literature ever. the characters and worldbuilding is impeccable and perfect if you like something dark with themes of hope and renewal.

Two Can Keep a Secret (If One of Them is Red) by anonymous secretmcblog - a 3L oneshot! ren suspects grian has stockholm syndrome with his pact to stay with scar, but his expectations are wrong. a truly excellent read and one of them first fics i've read! i still go back to reread it from time to time

dog at the door by fluffy_papaya & iamsolarflare - a longfic where doc and ren take a trip on a van on their way to s8. ren, however, is not quite himself, and doc has to learn to befriend the red king.

devil town is colder in the summertime by @bananasofthorns - a oneshot from a 100hsmp/life series d&d au! team BEST ventures into a cursed evil fucked up forest. uh oh.

Interview with the Aftermath by @ranchersrevenge (wanderlasts) - the last life contestants are invited for an interview. the responses vary greatly.

stars, smoke, and stolen car keys by wormcity - a 100hsmp modern au oneshot where grian, scar, and joel go on a hike. it doesn't go quite as they expected.

the beehive state by amaranthinecanicular - a dsmp oneshot after wilbur moves to utah. tommy visits him, and the two reconnect. i have to say i stopped following dsmp a long time ago but this fic made me BAWL. i don't even think you need to know any of the characters that well to really enjoy just how amazing the writing itself is

Can't Go Back (This Time) by @duckmumbo (musicaltvbooks) - soup group goes end raiding and accientally finds themselves in afterlife smp. nothing goes wrong, surely! also admittedly i havent finished reading this either but roy i swear i will. this is a great read nevertheless and the soup group dynamic is impeccable!

TommyInnit's unbeatable method of avoiding sudden death by eneliii - on the train of dsmp fics, this is the superhero au longfic that inspired my own hc superhero au, vdhau. it's a lot of funny shenanigans with tommy and his friends. the fic does take a dark turn at the end, but that can be skipped entirely (as said by eneli herself) if you just want the wholesome aspects.

if you don't mind a little self promo, here are some of my fics!

it takes two to play (the game of mutual secrecy) - the aforementioned hermitcraft hero au. this installment is centered around xisuma and evil x as brothers resolving their issues through hero work and solving the mystery of welsknight's disappearance :D there are other works that are set in the same universe if you're interested for more!

how to form the ultimate besties dynamic: an unreliable tutorial by hypnotizd - a oneshot! hypno is a warlock who goes treasure hunting under the sea. he meets a guardian who later becomes his unlikely friend.

smoke and mirrors, the hunt perseveres - grian's arrival in empires s2 unwittingly brings the watchers' suspicions with him. cue jimmy freaking out and a lot of shenanigans.

ballad of etho’s lab - my newest installment! a oneshot about etho's storied life as the redstone god.

i'm also currently working on the sequel to the game of mutual secrecy and a new (well not exactly new since i made concept art for it) au called private detective gem tasey! these will likely be released sometime late january or february. have fun with these fic recs! i haven't been reading as much lately but i hope ill be able to find more if anyone else asks in the future. cheers!

edit: the fics are out! here they are!

hiding in plain sight (the meaning of trust) - sequel to the hermitcraft hero au! it follows an escaped lab rat trying to acquaint themselves with human society while avoiding suspicion and making friends with familiar faces from tgms ;D

private detective gem tasey: a rotten mystery in london - a hermitcraft detective au where gem gets hired for a case that spirals completely into drama and politics!

#birdhouse inquiries #why am i hereagain tag #writing #hermitcraft #mcyt

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